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GLEAN: The People’s Choice Awards

GLEAN: The People’s Choice Awards

Bylined articles are written by Metro staff and do not necessarily represent the opinions of Metro or the Metro Council. Learn more

The people have spoken.

People who attended the GLEAN exhibition last month were invited to nominate their favorite work by each artist and describe what caught their eye and why.

Apply for GLEAN in January 2019

Applications from artists for next year's GLEAN program will be accepted starting Jan. 1, 2019. Check the GLEAN website in November for more information.

Five local artists participated in GLEAN, an annual program that offers a stipend to local artists to make art with the materials they find digging around at the Metro Central transfer station in Northwest Portland. The resulting works were on display at the Furthermore Gallery for most of August.

Some common themes emerged from the comments written on the ballots submitted. People were impressed with what the artists were able to construct and convey using only trash.

“How wonderful to make positive of what someone found as negative enough to throw away!”

“Made of reused materials, but together is just a beautiful piece that makes you forget that fact.”

Here are the winning pieces:

Eduardo Cruz Torres

Winning piece: #6

Audiences were entranced by the intricacies of Cruz Torres’ metal etchings.

“I like the craftsmanship of Eduardo’s pieces. I felt he respected the materials and brought them to a new level of life.”

“The gear struck me as found on an alien planet — similar tech to ours, but infused with something our culture’s engineers would not have thought of.”

Carolyn Hazel Drake

Winning piece: Highest Mystery of All

Voters admired Drake’s reverence for the personal artifacts that she incorporated into her work.

“So many of Drake’s pieces — the book concepts, leaves, boxes of mementos — so respectful of prior owner’s valuables.”

“Her work took death back to life.”

Liz Grotyohann

Winning piece: Drift

Liz Grotyohann built wooden boat frames and often added "skin" to them using found textiles. Voters appreciated the metaphors that her work conveyed.

“Love the boat theme. An analogy for journey the items of creation have taken.”

“Visually arresting, conceptually profound.”

Benjamin Mefford

Winning piece: Golden Age

Benjamin Mefford received praise for his creative use and juxtaposition of materials commonly discarded.

GLEAN was created to help raise awareness about our consumption habits and inspire new ways of looking at trash as a resource. The program is a partnership between Metro, the government that manages the greater Portland area's garbage and recycling system; Recology, a company that manages garbage and recycling facilities; and crackedpots, a local environmental arts nonprofit. Artists are selected each year by a jury of arts and environmental professionals.

In January, GLEAN will begin accepting applications from artists who wish to participate in the 2019 program.

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